The Walton Family Foundation announced plans for a new independent school in Bentonville.

Dr. Clayton Marsh, currently the deputy dean of the college at Princeton University, will be the founding head of school effective January 2016.

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“When we made the decision to build a new educational option for Northwest Arkansas from the ground up, we knew finding an innovative leader would be the first important step,” said Karen Minkel, Home Region program director at the Walton Family Foundation.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to create a new school on an open canvas in the heart of our country,” said Marsh. “And the conditions in Northwest Arkansas could not be better – a welcoming and dynamic community, a readiness for innovation in education, and, of course, the inspiring beauty of the Ozarks.”

“One of the key points in the Home Region’s 2020 strategic plan is to create a world-class system of Pre-K-12 schools,” said Minkel. “Our planning process helped us assess the current level of accessibility for parents and students to high-performing charter schools and traditional public schools. Our assessment also revealed that an independent school would add to the range of quality options available.”

According to a study by the Walton Family Foundation, there is a need for this type of institution.

They said the foundation showed 68% Bentonville residents polled would support an independent school.

As head of school, Marsh, from Kansas City, will lead all aspects of the independent school’s development, including curriculum and infrastructure.

The school is initially expected to serve students in middle school and high school.

In the spring of 2016, Marsh will release a timeline for the opening of the school and the specific grades it will offer.